Uses For Acoustic Panels
What Are Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are sound absorbing panels that can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours with the main purpose of removing residual noises and dampening sounds either in an indoor or outdoor environment. Oftentimes acoustic panels will go largely unnoticed by individuals due to their discreteness and how common they have become in the modern environment, with places such as movie cinemas and high barrier walls on the sides of major roads in populated areas containing acoustic panels and often just blending into the surrounds.
Acoustic panels are generally made using a foam or soft plastic substance which is designed to absorb sound and trap it in a surrounding open space as opposed to the sound hitting a solid har object such as a wall or ceiling and reflecting or reverberating. The trapping of sound within the cavity formed by the open space that makes up part of an acoustic panel is a phenomenon called the Helmholtz resonance.
Mulford Plastics supply commercial acoustic panels in Australia for both indoor and outdoor uses for multiple applications and purposes. Read on to learn more about the benefits of acoustic panels as well as the specific acoustic products that Mulford Plastics supply.
The Benefits And Uses of Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are multifunctional and provide a number of benefits across both indoor and outdoor environments with some of the main benefits of acoustic panels including.
Reducing Unwanted Sounds and Noises
Acoustic panels are specifically designed to reduce residual sound by either absorbing or diffusing various noises and various frequencies of noise by absorbing sound from the initial point of reflection. This can include reducing unwanted background noises, reducing reverberation as well as stopping or reducing echoing; this can be especially beneficial in spaces such as open plan offices where multiple sources of noise (voices) exist and originating from multiple locations.
Noise Containment
Acoustic Panels can be used for the containment of noises to a specific environment and prevent noise spillage into external environments, whether this is in a separate or shared space, with examples of this including;
- Reducing noise spillage from a busy restaurant into an exterior mall
- Reducing noise spillage from one section of an office into another section of the same office
- As a barrier on major roads designed to contain the noise of the traffic on the road to the road area and prevent spillage into adjoining residential areas
- Improving ceiling acoustics by preventing sound from hitting a ceiling surface and then bouncing and the sound travelling to a different part of the same space
Noise Cancellation
Acoustic panels can be highly effective at completely reducing noises to the point of cancelling the sound out entirely within certain environments. This is achieved by the reverberation that takes place within the inside of an acoustic panel and material contained within which is then absorbed by the surrounding hollow space thus achieving noise cancellation. Noise cancellation can be advantages in many environments such as rooms adjoining music recording studios, corporate meeting rooms and indoor building sites.
Improving Sound Quality
Acoustic panels can be used to improve sound quality in certain areas and spaces by reducing background noises, reverberations and reflections with environments such as an office meeting or conference room in which instead of sound bouncing it can be absorbed thus improving the quality and clarity of conversations. The same can be said for movie cinemas in which acoustic panels are often employed on the side walls and ceilings in order to prevent noise from bouncing to the centre areas and improving overall sound clarity.
Improved Aesthetics
Another and often unthought of benefit of acoustic panels is their ability for improved aesthetics of a room by livening up boring and bland wall spaces and ceilings with colour and vibrance while at the same time improving the room acoustics. Mulford’s Zintra® indoor acoustic panels come in a wide range of colours which can improve the aesthetics of even the most bland indoor environment or office space.
Noise Reduction Ratings
An NRC or Noise Reduction Coefficient is a measurement of how much sound a surface area absorbs with a rating between 0 and 1. A zero rating means that material will absorb 0% of the sound energy and thus reflects back 100% of the sound, this generally occurs with denser and harder materials such as brick and concrete walls. An NRC rating of 1 means that a material will absorb 100% of the sound energy that reaches it and will reflect 0% of the sound back, these generally softer materials such as carpet or cork. The goal of acoustic panels is to increase the NRC and make it as close to 1 as possible.
Types of Acoustic Panels
Mulford Plastics supply two main types of acoustic panels with one designed primarily for indoor purposes and the other designed primarily for outdoor purposes.
Zintra® Acoustic Panel
The Zintra® Acoustic Panel is designed primarily for indoor uses across a number of applications including; digital prints, indoor walls and ceilings and perfectly suited for commercial, hospitality and industrial projects, the Zintra® Acoustic Panel is ideal for absorbing internal sounds. Zintra® Acoustic Panels come in a wide range of colours at an affordable price and are the perfect solution for when a combination of acoustic performance and aesthetics are required.
Some of the key features of the Zintra® Acoustic Panels include;
- A variety of colours available
- Environmentally friendly and made from recyclable materials
- Easily fabricated and installed
- Choice of sizes available
Donchamp® NoiseGuard Acrylic
The Donchamp® NoiseGuard Acrylic is designed primarily for outdoor use across a number of applications including; railways, bridges, roads and highways. Donchamp® NoiseGuards are made using a high grade acrylic that is designed to be highly weather resistant with exceptional mechanical properties and rigidity.
Some of the key features of the Donchamp® NoiseGuard include;
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Strong surface hardness
- Excellent optical clarity
- Superior weather and ageing properties
Conclusion
Acoustic panels are highly beneficial at improving sound quality and reducing noises in both indoor and outdoor environments with Mulford Plastics supplying premium quality acoustic panels in Australia and abroad for commercial purposes.